Ammunition booster for automatic guns



Feb. 24, 1948. c. c. SLATE 2,436,404

AMMUNITION BOQSTER FOR AUTOMATIQ GUNS Filed May 27, 1942 Mu awn 6 CLAUDEC. 51,147:

K 4 HA PAWS) K/Ech; Fosns/e &/7/H/?P/,$

@zzw

F01? 'THE F/EM I A TTOENEYJ.

*Patentecl Feb. 24, 1948 Claude C; Slate, "Burbank'NCalifl .assig'nor toHughes Tool Company, Houston, Tex.-, a corporation of DelawareApplication May it, 19423 sea no. 444355 13 Claims. (oi. te -3e) Myinvention relates to means for controlling the feeding and firing ofautomatic guns. While the invention is particularly applicable to machine guns and will be so described herein for the purpose ofillustration, it may also be adapted to heavier guns of theautomatic-type.

A machine gun operated under remote con trol, for example, a machine gunon an airplane, is commonly supplied by an ammunition belt that travelsfrom an ammunition magazine through a feed chute. In theusualarran'gement both the energy required to actuate the firingmechanism and the energy required to movev the ammunition belt from themagazine tothe gun are derived from the explosive in the cartrides ofthe ammunition belt. Considerable energy is required to move anammunition belt because; in the first place, the ag regate weight of, abelt of ammunition is substantial, in the second place, considerablefriction is involved both within the belt structure" and between thebelt and the chute, and, in the third place, because considerableinertia must be overcome continually in movingthe belt in thecharacteristically intermittent manner. v

The burdening of the firing mechanism of the gun with the function of aprime mover inevitably, lessens the rate of firing. A more serious con--sideration is that jams; r'riisfires, and failures to fire withattendant delay and confusion result" from the additional load tin thegun mechanism.

It is a general object of the presentinvention to release the gunmechanismto a substantial extent, if not entirely, of the task ofconveying ammunition to the firing mechanism. This object is attained bya power-actuated booster.'

With reference to the power-actuated booster; another object o'ftheinvention is to provide an arrangement in which energization of thebooster and operation of the gun firing mechanism are automaticallysynchronized.

In the preferred practice of the invention I employ a motor to energizethe booster, and furtherspecific objects of the invention relate toproblems involved in the use of a motor for this purpose. One of thesespecific objects is to provide a driving connection between the motorand the booster that will cause the booster to be actuated by the motorand yetipermits the ammu nition belt to'move intermittently while themotor operates continuously.- Another of these specific objects is toprovide an arrangement by virtue of which the motor stores up energywhile the ammunition'belt is momentarily stationary",- which energy isreleased to favor rapid acceleration onthe next advance of theammunition belt, Still another of-these specific objects :is to providea rhotor-driven booster thatwill not impose-the load oi -a-dead motor onthe firing mechanism when themotor fails". i.-

g The above and further. objects and advantages of-the-invention will beapparent in thefollowi ng detailed description, taken with theaccompany- ---In-the-dra wing', which is to be considered asillustrative only:

-Fi gi 1 is-a sid'e elevation Ora prefer-red form of my inventioncombined witha machine gun;

2 is a-Wiring-diag'ramof a =oircuit employed in the arrangement'shown inFig. 1 Y "Big.- 3. is an enlarged view in cross section taken asihdi'eatgdby the line 3 3 rrig. 1;;ana Fig. 4 is a section taken on theline 4-4 or The drawing shows the usual ammunition box generallydesignated in and alnamr'n'unition chute I l leading from the ammunitionbox to the firing mechanism l2 of; a machine gun- I3.- The machine gunis remotely controlled by a push-5 button switch l5 which ma be lbca'tedon'the pilot s control stick in the usual manner From the push-buttonswitch J5 an electric cable 16 eg'rten'ds to a solenoid-operatedmechanism H and; the g'iu'i is adapted to fire continually whenever thesolenoid-op'erated mechanism is energized.- -=The ammunition bo'x Ill,which has side w ns I 8 and a removable coyer 20; houses a motorg drivenbooster generally designated 1.; The motor-driven booster 2| isenergized anacontrolled by a cable 22 and preferably the arrangement issuch that thebooster is energized only w en the iner closes thepush-button switch 15. Fig; 2 shows-a wiring diagrafn to p'l'oyid'e thedesired synchronous control One-side of a battery 'or otherelectroniotive source 23 is connected by iaw'ire' 25 to one t mmer thepush-button fell- 15, and the other side is connected by a wi'reitto oneterminal of the solenoid-operated mechani m 11 and to one terminal or amotors] that; boosts-the ammunit on belt. 1 The second contact-6fthe-pus h-b'utton switch If is connected by a wire 28 to the secondterminal of thesole mid-operated mechanism l1 and to the second terminalof the motoril. e

Asshown in Figs; 3 and}4, each cartridge 39' for the machine gunhas a'cylindrical shell 3]; that tapers to a redueed diameter to embrace aprojectile 3 2; Thecartridgesj 30 are garnga by or intei eonnected byadisl-ntegrating arrimuni tioh belt generally designated 33 theammunisequence from the belt 33 in the course of rapid I fire, theindividual links 35 are automatically released and discarded.

The motor-driven booster 2| includes a primary cylindrical roller 40 anda secondary'cylindrical roller 4| rotatably mounted thereon, thesecondary roller being the shorter and being formed with shallowperipheral grooves 62 at its opposite ends. Each of the grooves 42 ispartly occupied by a ring 43 that tightly embraces the secondary rollerand is adapted to engage the ammunition belt. In my preferredconstruction the two rings 43 are formed with teeth 45 to mesh with thecartridges, as indicated in Fig. 4, and are made of sponge rubber sothat the teeth are momentarily .fiexed or deformed whenever the travelof the ammunition belt momentarily lags behind the rotation of the tworings.

One feature of my invention is the concept of employing the describedcylindrical rollers .48 and 4! in combination with a resilient operativeconnection therebetween by means of which the primary roller40 drivesthe secondary roller 41 in a manner to permit appreciable variation inthe relative speed of the secondary roller. Various form of resilientdriving connection may be employed, but I prefer to use a resilientsleeve 45 of rubber or'like material at each end of the pair of rollers.As best shown in Fig. 3, each resilient sleeve 46 may be formed with aninner annular rib 41 to embrace the corresponding groove 52 of thesecondary roller and may be formed with a second annular rib 48 toembrace the primary roller 40. this latter rib having an inwardlydirected flange 50 to overhang the end of the primary roller.

It is apparent that there are two yielding means in the chain of drivingconnection between the primary roller 40 and the ammunition belt, oneyielding means being the pair of rings 43 with their flexible teeth 45and the other yielding means being the pair of resilient sleeves 46. Ifthe ammunition belt is momentarily retarded, the teeth 45 flex to anappreciable extent and the two rubber sleeves 46 are distorted to agreater rotational extent, the two effects being such that the primaryroller 40 may continue to rotate at substantially uniform speed whilethe ammunition belt is intermittently retarded and accelerated. It is tobe noted that the fiexure of the teeth 45 and the yielding torquedistortion of the resilient sleeves 46 represent potential energy, andthis energy, which is stored when the ammunition belt is momentarlyretarded, is released when a peak of energy is desired to overcome theinertia of the retarded ammunition belt and to accelerate the belttoward the machine gun.

Inside the primary cylindrical roller 40 is a suitable motor 5|supported at its opposite ends by a pair of brackets 52 and 53, thebrackets being mounted by screws 55 on the side walls is of theammunition box. A cylindrical end portion 56 of the motor 5| is threadedonto the bracket 52, and at the other end a cylindrical gear box 51unitary with the motor fits into a complementary circular recess 58 inthe bracket 53. To prevent rotation of the concentrically mounted motoran oil-center machine screw 60 may extend through the bracket 53 intothe gear box 57. The cylindrical end portion 56 of the motor is embracedby a roller bearing 6| for rotary support of one end of the primaryroller 49, and the bracket 53 is embraced by a second roller bearing 62for the other end of the primary .roller.

The motor 5i drives a train of reduction gearing (not shown) in thecircular gear box 51, the gear train ending in a pinion 63 thatprotrudes through a peripheral slot 65 in the gear box. Meshed with thepinion 53 is a ring gear 66 that functions as part of an overrunningclutch, the overrunning clutch including a clutch ring 68 that is fixedto the inner circumference of the primary roller 40 and also includingfour small rollers 70. In a Well known manner the small rollers 10 arehoused in inclined recesses ii in the periphery of the ring gear 65 sothat the small rollers 10 efiect engagement between the ring gear andthe clutch ring when the ring gear tends to gain on the clutch ring inthe direction of rotation indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. If the motorshould fail, however, or for any other reason tend to lag behind therotation of the clutch ring 68, the small rollers HI drop back to thedeeper ends of the inclined recesses 7| out of engagement with theclutch ring to free the clutch ring of the load of the motor.

The manner in which my invention operates will be readily understoodfrom the foregoing description. The difference between operating themachine gun with the cooperation of the booster and without thecooperation of the booster amounts to fifty to two hundred shots perminute. In addition to speeding up the rate of fire, the boosterdecreases failures of the firing mechanism of the gun in battle.

The preferred practice of my invention described herein in detail forthe purpose of disclosure and to illustrate the principles involved willsuggest various changes and modifications under the basic concept, and Ireserve the right to all such departures from my description thatproperly lie within the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a booster device of the character described, the combinationof: acylindrical primary rotary means providing a motor cavity; a cylindricalsecondary rotary means journalled on said primary rotary means, saidsecondary rotary means being adapted to engage a device to be driventhereby; resilient means yieldingly interconnecting said two rotarymeans; a motor in said motor cavity; and means operatively connectingsaid motor in'driving relation with said primary rotary means, saidmotor being housed in the primary rotary means.

2. In a device'for boosting a belt-like structure in its longitudinalmovement along a predetermined path, the combination of: a sleeve havinga longitudinal axis; means for journalling said sleeve to rotate aboutsaid axis; a motor within said sleeve; means for operatively connectingsaid motor to said sleeve in driving relationship; another sleeverotatable relative to said first sleeve about said axis and adapted tooperatively engage such a belt-like structure, said sleeves providingportions spaced from each other; and resilient means connecting saidportionsto farm a resilient drive means for driving said other sleeveupon rotation of said first..- named sleeve.

a booster device .of the character described, the combination of: anenclosed cylindrical motor unitya cylindrical sleeve enclosing saidmotor unit and concentric therewith; bear.- ing means between saidsleeve and said motor unit for permitting relative rotationtherebetween; clutch means at one .endof said motor unitxin said sleeveandoperatively connecting the same; tubular sprocket meanscarried bysaid sleeve and concentric therewith; and a re, silient driving meansconnecting said sleeve and said sprocket; means. whereby rotation ofsaid sleeve rotates said driving means and in turn said sprocket means.

4. In a booster device of the character described, the combination of:an enclosed cylindrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve enclosing saidmotor unitand concentric therewith; hearing means between said sleeveand said motor unit for permitting relative rotation therebetween;clutchmeans at one end of said motor unit in said sleeve and operativelyconnecting the same; tubular sprocket means carried by said sleeve andconcentric therewith, said sprocket means being of less length-than saidsleeve so that one end of said sleeve extends out of said snockct.rneems; and an ular resilient driving means c nnectin on end saidsleeve and said o ke m ans, an nclosin said x n :irlg end of'saidsl'eve, whereby rotation of said sleeve. ro a s a i driv n means d inturn said sp ocket m an .5, In boo t r dev ce the a a t r d cribed, thcombination o n enclosed cylindrical motor unit; a; cyli ndric al sleeveenclosing said motor unit andconcentrictherewith; bearns: m ansbetween.. aid s e e a i motor unit for no m 4 e1at e otat t tween;'clutch means at, one end of said motor unit in said sleeve andoperatively connecting the same; tubular sprocket means carried by saidsleeve and concentric. therewith, said sprocket means being of less.length. than said sleeve so that both ends. of said sleeve extend out ofsaid sprocketmeans; and apair oiresilient driving means each of which isannular in form, each enclosing one extending end of said sleeve andconnected between such end and said sprocket means, whereby rotation ofsaid sleeve rotates said driving means and in turn said sprocket means.i

6. In a booster device of the character described, the combination of:an enclosed cylindrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve enclosing saidmotor unitand concentric therewith; bearing means between said sleeveand said motor unit for permitting relative rotation therebetween;clutch means at one end of said motor unit in said sleeve andoperatively connecting the same; tubular sprocket means carried by saidsleeve and'concentric therewith, said sprocket means being of lesslength than said sleeve so that both ends-of said sleeve extend out ofsaid sprocket means; and a pair of resilient driving means each of whichis annular in form enclosing one extending end of said sleeve andconnected between such end and said sprocket means, each of said drivingmeans being impervious to foreign material to prevent the entry thereofbetween said sleeve and said sprocket means, whereby rotation of saidsleeve rotates 6 said driving means and in turn said sprocket means.

7. In a, booster device of the character de: scribed, the combination ofan enclosed cylins drical motorunit; a, cylindrical sleeve, enclosingsaid motor unit and concentric therewith, one end of said sleeveextending beyond an adjacent end of said motor unit; a. member having acyline drical surface extending into said one end of said sleeve andconcentric therewith, said meme ber being secured to said adjacent end.Q'f said motor unit so. as to. provide a space therebetween; bearingmeans disposed between said sleeve and said surface and within saidsleeve. so as to rotatably supportsaid one, end of said sleeve on saidmember; clutch means in said space and operatively connecting said motorunit and; sleeve, whereby actuation of said motor'unit rotates saidsleeve relative thereto; tubular sprocket means journalled on saidsleeve. for rotation relative thereto; and annular resilient drivingmeans on said sleeve operatively connecting said sleeve with saidsprocket means,

8 In a. booster device of the character described, the combination of:an enclosed cylinrdrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve enclosing saidmotor unit vand concentric therewith, one end of said sleeve extendingbeyond an-adjacent end of said motor unit; a; member having; acylindrical surface extending into said one end of said sleeve andconcentric therewith said member beingsecured to said adjacent endofsaid motor unit so, as to provide a space therebetween, saidmember-substantiallyclosing said one end of said sleeve; bearing meansdisposed between said sleeve and said surface and within said sleeve soas to rotatably support said one end of said sleeve on said member;clutch means in said space and operatively connecting said motor unitand sleeve, whereby actuation of said motor unit rotates said sleeverelative thereto; tubular sprocket means journalled on said sleeve forrotaticn relative thereto; and annular resilient driving means on, saidsleeve :operatively connecting said sleeve with said sprocket means.

9. In a booster device. of the character dc:- scrlbed, the combinationof: an enclosed; cylindrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve, enclosingsaid motor unit and concentric therewith, one end of said sleeveextending beyond an adjacent end of said motor unit; a first memberhaving a cylindrical surface extending into said one end of said sleeveand concentric therewith, said member being secured to said adjacent endof said motor unit so as to provide a space therebetween, said firstmember substantially closing said one end of said sleeve; bearing meansdisposed between said sleeve and said surface and within said sleeve soas to rotatably support said one end of said sleeve on said member;clutch means in said space and operatively connecting said motor unitand sleeve, wherebyactuation of said motor unit rotates said sleeverelative thereto; tubular sprocket means journalled on said sleeve forrotation relative thereto; annular resilient driving means on saidsleeve operatively connecting said sleeve with said sprocket means; anda second member secured to the other end of said motor unit andsubstantially closing the other end of said sleeve.

10. In a booster device of the character described, the combination of:an enclosed cylindrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve enclosing saidmotor unit and concentric therewith; bearing means between said sleeveand said motor unit for permitting relative rotation therebetween; meansin said sleeve operatively connecting said motor unit and said sleeve;tubular sprocket means carried by said sleeve and concentric therewith,said sprocket means being of less length than said sleeve so that oneend of said sleeve extends out of said sprocket means; and an annularresilient driving means connecting said one end of said sleeve and saidsprocket means and enclosing said extending end of said sleeve, wherebyrotation of said sleeve rotates said driving means and in turn saidsprocket means.

11. In a booster device of the character described, the combination of:an enclosed cylindrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve enclosing .saidmotor unit and concentric therewith; bearing means between said sleeveand said motor unit for permitting relative rotation therebetween; meansin said sleeve-operatively connecting said motor unit and said sleeve;tubular sprocket means carried by said sleeve and concentric therewith,said sprocket means being of less length than said sleeve so that oneend of said sleeve extends out of said sprocket means;

and a tubular resilient driving means connecting said one end of saidsleeve and said sprocket means and enclosing said extending end of saidsleeve, whereby rotation of said sleeve rotates said driving means andin turn said sprocket means, said driving means being formed so as toprevent the entry of dust therethrough between said sleeve and saidsprocket means.

12. In a booster device of the character described, the combination of:an enclosed cylindrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve enclosing saidmotor unit and concentric therewith; bearing means between said sleeveand said motor unit for permitting relative rotation therebetween; meansin said sleeve operatively connecting said motor unit and said sleeve;tubular sprocket means carried by said sleeve and concentric therewith,said sprocket means being of less length than said sleeve so that theends of said sleeve extend out of said sprocket means; and a pair ofannular resilient driving means, each of which connects one of the endsof said sleeve and said sprocket means and encloses said extending andof said sleeve, whereby rotation of said sleeve rotates said drivingmeans and in turn said sprocket means. r

13. In a booster device of the character described, the combination of:an enclosed cylindrical motor unit; a cylindrical sleeve memberenclosing said motor unit and concentric therewith; bearing meansbetween said sleeve member and said motor unit for permitting relativerotation therebetween; means for operatively connecting said motor unitand said sleeve member whereby operation of said motor unit can rotatesaid sleeve member; a tubular sprocket member enclosing said sleevemember and -concentric therewith, one of said members having an endextending axially beyond an end of the other of said member; and anannular resilient driving means connecting said ends and concentric withsaid members, whereby rotation of said sleeve member is adapted torotate said driving means and in turn said sprocket means.

CLAUDE C. SLATE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,352,891 Green Sept. 14, 19202,180,751 Wagner Nov. 21, 1939 1,842,446 Dabrasky Jan. 26, 19321,290,852 Sturgeon Jan. 7, 1919 1,399,440 Payne Dec. 6, 1921 2,366,395Hall Jan. 2, 1945 2,342,065 Trotter et a1. Feb. 15, 1944 1,501,187Rayfield July 15, 1924 2,174,010 Patterson Sept. 26, 1939 2,174,223Frauenthal et a1. Sept. 26, 1939 1,235,734 Stange Aug. 7, 1917 2,003,029Albersheim May 28, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 486,684Great Britain June 9, 1938 690,426 France June 17, 1930 520,397 GreatBritain Apr. 23, 1940 502,948 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1939

